I unloaded Arthur from his car seat and set him down on the skim of white powder blanketing the powerline trail we’d parked on. His brother August ran around the front side of the truck, asking if he could carry the .410; I explained to him that he could but that I’d hold onto the shells.
Both boys set out, looking for tracks in the fresh snow. Arthur’s new dinosaur-print neoprene boots seemed to be holding up well and keeping his feet warm on our adventures. His ever-present pacifier dangled from his mouth, complete with attached stuffed animal moose. As his 2nd birthday approached, I knew I needed to start weaning him off the pacifier, but as a single dad the pacifier was also my saving grace in that it kept him calm
